Writing instruments



Nov. 13, 1962 D PARKER WRITING INSTRUMENTS Filed April 2, 1956 INVENTOR.DAN/EL PAD/(7? K MMJWZ W United States Patent 3,063,419 WRITING INSRUMENTS Daniel Parker, Milton Junction, Wis., assignor to The Parker PenCompany, Janesville, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 2,1956, Ser. No. 575,448 Claims. (Cl. 120--42.03)

The present invention relates to writing instruments, and moreparticularly to writing instruments having a projectable and retractablewriting unit.

A writing instrument of this general character includes a barrel and awriting unit in the barrel movable between a retracted position in whichthe writing point of the unit is concealed in the barrel and a projectedposition in which the writing point is exposed forwardly beyond thebarrel in writing position.

The construction is thus especially adaptable but not limited to ballpoint writing instruments wherein it is desired that the writing pointbe retracted for placing the instrument in the pocket without soilingthe pocket with ink or other writing composition.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel writing instrumentutilizing magnetiemeans for both projecting and retracting the writingunit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel writing instrumentutilizing reversible polarity magnetic means for projecting and forretracting the writing unit.

Still another object is to provide a writing instrument of the characternoted having magnetic means for both projecting and retracting thewriting unit, and having means for holding the writing unit in projectedposition but releasable in response to operation of the magnetic meansto all-ow the magnetic means to retract the writing unit to retractedposition and retain it there.

It is a further object to provide a retractable writing instrumenthaving a pair of magnets, the polarity of one of which is reversible tothereby selectively attract and repel the other magnet for projectingand retracting the writing unit of the writing instrument.

These and other objects will appear from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a writing instrumentembodying the invention, with the writing unit in projected position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the writing unit inretracted position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the lower portion of a writing instrumentillustrating an alternate form of projection holding means;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sectional views of a portion of a writinginstrument illustrating another embodiment of the invention, FIG. 4showing the writing unit in projected position and FIG. 5 showing thewriting unit in retracted position; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of a writing instrumentillustrating an alternate form of construction which may be utilizedwith the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The writing instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a barrel 6 whichmay be made of any desired suitable material such as plastic or metal. Awriting unit 7 having a writing point 8 is mounted in the barrel forsliding movement between projected position (FIG. 1) in which thewriting point is exposed forwardly beyond the barrel for writingpurposes, and retracted position FIG. 2) in which the writing point isconcealed in the barrel. The writing unit may be a standard orconventional ball point cartridge in which the writing composition isfed to the ball point 3 through a feed section 17.

3,053,419 Patented Nov. 13, 1962 "ice In the projection and retractionof the writing unit, the feed section 17 slides through bore 18 whilethe rear end of the writing unit 7 slides in the upper or rear portionof the main bore of the writing instrument.

A permanent magnet 13 is associated with the writing unit 7 for movementtherewith reciprocally in the barrel, and is preferably disposed at theextreme rear end of the unit 7. The magnet 13 may be attached t thewriting unit either magnetically or physically. In FEGS. 1 and 2 themagnet 13 is attached to the writing unit 7 magnetically in that amagnetic element, such as a slug or cap 14 of magnetically attractablematerial, is fixed to the rear end of the writing unit 7 and isattracted to magnet 13. The magnet 13 is thus magnetically attached tothe slug 14. However, as is illustrated in FIG. 6, this magnet maybephysically attached to the writing unit. In FIG. 6, magnet 13 ismounted directly on the rear end of writing unit 7'.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a magnet 9 of reversible polarity isprovided to enable the magnet 13 to be either attracted thereto orrepelled therefrom depending upon the polarity of magnet 9. Permanentmagnet 9 is pivotably mounted on the barrel as at 10 so that thepolarity of permanent magnet 9 may be reversed by rotating the magnet180 degrees about its pivot point. The magnet 9 may be mounted in acircular elementll which may be manipulated by the thumb or forefingerto easily rotate magnet 9 about its pivot point to reverse its polarity.The circular element 11 is provided with serrations 12 around itscircumference to facilitate such manipulation.

Referring to FIG. 1, the position of magnet 9 is such that its lowerpole is of the same polarity (s) as the upper pole (s) of permanentmagnet 13. iermanent magnet 13 is thus repelled away from magnet 9forcing the writing unit forwardly. The writing unit is therebymagnetically projected to the projected position.

By simply rotatively manipulating magnet 9 to the position shown in FIG.2, the polarity of magnet 9 is.

reversed so that the lower pole of magnet 9 is of the opposite polarity(n) as the upper pole (s) of magnet 13. The magnet 13 is thereforeattracted to magnet 9, moves rearwardly theretoward, and the writingunit follows magnet 13 to be thus magnetically retracted to theretracted position.

The strength of magnets 9 and 13 may be selected to give the desiredforces for projecting and retracting the writing unit and formaintaining the writing unit in projected position and retractedposition. The small but very strong Alnico permanent magnets arepreferred but the invention is not to be limited thereto, as anysuitable magnets may be used.

Additional projection holding means may be provided to aid inmaintaining the writing unit in projected position during writing. InFIGS. 1 and 2, for example, such additional projection holding meanstakes the form of a tapered portion 15 on the writing unit and acorresponding tapered portion 16 in the barrel. These tapered portionsengage wedgingly when the writing unit is magnetically projected to theprojected position and thus aid in maintaining the writing pointprojected while writing. When the polarity of the reversible polaritymagnet is reversed, the writing unit is magnetically attractedrearwardly, the tapered portions disengage, and the unit movesrearwardly to retracted position.

The additional projection holding means may alternatively take the form,as illustrated in FIG. 3, of one or more spring fingers 160 engageablewith the rearwardly facing shoulder of widened portion of the writingunit. When the writing unit is magnetically projected forwardly, thewidened portion 150 of the unit snaps past the spring fingers 160, andthe unit is held projected as shown in FIG. 3. When the polarity ofmagnet 9 is reversed, the unit is magnetically attracted rearwardly, andthe spring fingers 164 spread and release the unit and the unit moves onrearwardly to the retracted position.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of the invention whereinthere is provided in a barrel 60, a forwardly facing shoulder 22 betweena rear bore 20 and a forward bore 19. A permanent magnet 130, slidablein upper bore 20, may be repelled from or attracted to the reversiblepolarity magnet 90. A plug or cap of magnetically attractable material140 is fixed to the rear end of writing unit 70 so that the writing unitattaches to and follows magnet 130. Magnet 130, at its forward end, iscam-shaped to have a camming effect on the writing unit 70 when themagnet 130' is moved forwardly. Thus, when magnet 130 is repelled frommagnet 90, the writing unit 70 is not only projected forwardly but isalso moved laterally by this camming action to engage the forwardlyfacing shoulder 22. Forwardly facing shoulder 22 therefore provides anadditional projection holding means for maintaining the writing unit inprojected position against the forces applied during writing. Themanipulation for projection and retraction is as explained heretofore,i.e. by rotating magnet 90 to the position shown in FIG. 4, the Writingunit 76] is projected by magnetic repulsion to the projection position,and by rotating the magnet 90 to the position shown in FIG. 5, thewriting unit 70 is retracted by magnetic attraction to the retractedposition.

I claim:

1. A writing instrument comprising: a barrel; a writing unit movable insaid barrel between a projected and a retracted position; an element ofmagnetically attractable material mounted on the rear end of saidwriting unit; a first permanent magnet slidable in said barrel anddisposed rearwardly of said element and magnetically attracting saidelement; a second permanent magnet mounted on said barrel rearwardly ofsaid first magnet for manipulation to permit reversal of its polarityfor attracting and repelling said first magnet to thereby magnetical lyretract and magnetically project said writing unit.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, including a projected positionholding means for releasably retaining said writing unit in projectedposition, wherein said projected position holding means comprises atapered portion on the 4- writing unit and a corresponding taperedportion in the barrel arranged for wedging interengagement when thewriting unit is magnetically projected.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, including a projected positionholding means for releasably retaining said Writing unit in projectedposition, wherein said projected position holding means comprises arearwardly facing shoulder on the writing unit and a spring fingermounted in the barrel for latching engagement with the shoulder when thewriting unit is magnetically projected.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, including a projected positionholding means for releasably retaining said Writing unit in projectedposition, wherein said projected position holding means comprises aforwardly facing shoulder in the barrel arranged for latching engagementwith the writing unit when it is magnetically projected.

5. A writing instrument comprising: a barrel; a writing unit movable insaid barrel between a projected and a retracted position; an element ofmagnetically attractable material mounted on the rear end of saidwriting unit; a first permanent magnet slidable in said barrel anddisposed therein rearwardly of said element and magnetically attached tosaid unit; said first magnet having a cam surface at its forward end; asecond permanent magnet pivotably mounted on said barrel rearwardly ofsaid first magnet to permit reversal of its polarity for attracting andrepelling said first magnet to thereby magnetically retract andmagnetically project said writing unit; said barrel having a forwardlyfacing shoulder therein; said cam surface on said first magnet acting tolaterally displace said Writing unit into latching engagement with saidshoulder when the writing unit is magnetically projected thereby actingto hold said unit in projected position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,557,634 Cox June 19, 1951 2,683,931 Fahlgren July 20, 1954 2,693,170vSears Nov. 2, 1954 2,711,022 Salfelder June 21, 1955 2,793,618 Benson etal. May 28, 1957 2,870,741 Kersten Ian. 27, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 145,325Germany Nov. 25, 1903

